What's your story?

[electricfox]

I'm curious about my fellow Vortechers' lots in life - do you run your business as a side project upon an existing job, as your sole job, or something else?

I myself am a student and would be interested in hearing if there are other students out there on the board? I started ElectricFox when I was 20, moved to Vortech in 2002. I'm 23 now, and I'll be graduating soon; as such I'm currently contemplating what to do next - should I attempt this as full time, continue it as part-time on top of something else, or sell it and move on...

Anyway, that's me. So - what's your story?

[awen]

Originally Posted by electricfox

I'm curious about my fellow Vortechers' lots in life - do you run your business as a side project upon an existing job, as your sole job, or something else?

I myself am a student and would be interested in hearing if there are other students out there on the board? I started ElectricFox when I was 20, moved to Vortech in 2002. I'm 23 now, and I'll be graduating soon; as such I'm currently contemplating what to do next - should I attempt this as full time, continue it as part-time on top of something else, or sell it and move on...

Anyway, that's me. So - what's your story?

I do this on the side... it pays for itself, but so far thats about it... but I also have too many irons in the fire... All good things in good time.

It's not a lot, but its my life.

[Silverbug]

hmm I started working for a company in 2002 looking after their website. Near the end of the year they got to the point where they couldn't employee me full time anymore so I left and started Sniper (along with two other ppl, although Im the only full time person), and I just contracted to them. Since then its been my full time job, and I've managed to land some pretty good clients.

One thing I must say electricfox, if your going to go out on your own its hard work. Im 22 now and, while working for yourself does have its benifits there are alot of things that when working for someone else you just take for granted.

I'd love to be able to go and work for someone else and pay off my car but im in it for the long haul and eventually hope to have a few people working for me. Thats when i can take the holidays We're just at the stage where we have too much work for me but not enough to employee someone else full time.

[electricfox]

Silverbug, our stories sound pretty similar, actually, as I've started contracting out my development work as well. Up to two guys, doing about 50% of the dev work.

If you and I were more local to eachother, I'd suggest a lunch meeting! :-) If you ever find yourself in California, look me up!

[JRMServices]

Web hosting is something that I started as a value added service to my pc consulting business. I actually started a web hosting company with a previous employer as a side business as well, and then when I left, they didn't know what to do with the web hosting clients, so I took them with me. I have been with Vortech for almost 2 years now, and the flexibility of H-Sphere, it would be absolutely wonderful if I could make this my full time job. Just sit back and invoice, hardly ever a question needs answered. But for now, it's just there on the side.

[DVHost]

Web hosting is what I do full time. When I first started hosting 3 years ago, I was working for Sprint PCS as a technician. The job allowed me the freedom to start and run my hosting business while performing my daily functions in a Sprint retail store. The needs of my small business were not very demanding at the time so it worked out.

My goal had always been to work for myself and I loathe working for other people unless its something I enjoy doing. Fixing cell phones is not it. A point I made abundantly clear to my employer at the time. :wink2: Eventually (the employer) found an opportunity to liberate me from the company.

I have not been back to work in the real world in 16 months and it has been an absolute pleasure. When I started reselling it was for another company. In the time since my separation from the cruel working world, I have built a second business around reselling Matrix/Vortech. Now I have two hosting businesses that are allowing me to stay at home.

I love what I do. I love web hosting. Its challenging, dynamic and lucrative. It's the second best job I've ever had.

[Silverbug]

It's the second best job I've ever had.

so whats the best?

[dpyers]

I do mostly corporate IT consulting/architecture/PM work. This is something I do on the side - mostly because over time I also built up a portfolio of sites for small-medium businesss and wound up supporting them on hosts all over the place - with nowhere near the control that a reseller account gives me.

Not sure about ever doing this full time though. I like web development. I'm a good geezer geek (worked on aarpanet) and a good project manager. Don't like chasing sales and the admin stuff that goes along with running your own hosting business.

Know a lot of graphics and developer types who decided to start their own businesses because they liked what they did for a living only to find that as a business owner, that's what they did the least. One nice thing about working for the corporates - it's a big sandbox and it's full of toys

[dpyers]

Originally Posted by Silverbug

so whats the best?

Bear in mind that small chldren may read this

[generic]

I got into web development after starting a pc repair business in 2000.

I have been doing this full time 40+ hours a week for the last 4 1/2 years. February will be my 5 year annivarsary. Once hosting gets over 100k a year I will tell the second job to pound sand.

And my second 40+ hour job...a police detective in a northern Chicago, Il suburb. I specialize in Internet and computer crime. (go figure)

edit** please no speeding ticket stories!!!!

[Silverbug]

I specialize in Internet and computer crime.

actually, i look after a computer forensics company

Bear in mind that small chldren may read this

hehe good point.

If you ever find yourself in California, look me up

Likewise, if you ever in NZ

[Curt]

I'm 26 and registered my first domain (which is also my service domain) a little over 3 years ago. I actually did it because I was disappointed with the direction of my employer and wanted to start to get away from them. My day job remains as a "software solutions developer" with the same company unfortunately, but I keep looking for ways to expand my side business, and hopefully one day leave to work for myself. Currently, I try to balance my leftover time between social life and side business, so that I don't wear myself out and turn myself against the idea of web development and hosting. I have developed web sites for several customers over the last couple years, and a few of them host with me here. I also host a few personal sites for friends. All in all, it covers the cost of a Cypher plan with a bit left over for a night out with the guys once in a while. More importantly, I still enjoy the biz, so although I'm nowhere near where I want to be yet, I'm relatively close to where I expected to be, and things are still moving forward.

<phew> Wow, thank you. That felt good. Who's next?

[princessangry]

well right now.. not doing much... got fired from dell for nothing.... they fire people all teh time in this town. they just up and fired me one day. it was horrible working there anyway. yuck. they treated me and everyone else there awful!

I wanted to quit anyway. They also werent doing to well and they still arent. the backorder is immense, the factory is too small for that many systems they put out, the builkders they get to build the systems most of them have never seen the inside of a computer before, people talk about sick stuff all day, buncha drama in that plant I'll tell ya.

it was too hard on me anyway. was making me very weak and sick and my feet were taking too much of a beating.....

lots of people drop hard drives and stick them back in the systems so be careful with your data on a dell and back up every day!

also they released 7000 systems with hard drives that cna catch on fire.... so watch that too...!!!

just be very careful with dell...


otherthanthat.......

setting up my new hosting company aggressive networks (formerly spot360.com after a purchase of the domain by a media company in CA called point.360)

and we are gonna go in a new direction and im still adjusting my services. Im gonna go more local and narrow my clientel down.

I might look for a job in the mean time. I might go work at cingular in nashville..... who knows...

I love cingular tho... cool wireless company and my sony erricsson phone is sweet, wireless web and camera for free!!!

my plan's the nation 450 with rollover and wireless web!!!

its sweet!!

[jmbeach]

Originally Posted by awen

It's not a lot, but its my life.

Bug's Life fan, eh?

Signed on with Vortech a year and a half ago after spending several years bouncing from one bad host to another. Needed a good place to offer my development clients hosting at, since they had spotty luck at best. Once the word got out, though, I easily have twice as many "free" friends and family sites here as paying clients. All the same to me, though, it's more than paid for, and I don't complain... that is until the servers go down

[awen]

Originally Posted by jmbeach

Bug's Life fan, eh?

Signed on with Vortech a year and a half ago after spending several years bouncing from one bad host to another. Needed a good place to offer my development clients hosting at, since they had spotty luck at best. Once the word got out, though, I easily have twice as many "free" friends and family sites here as paying clients. All the same to me, though, it's more than paid for, and I don't complain... that is until the servers go down

I was wondering which movie I picked that up from! 4 kids... My only refuge is online. I'm the same boat, I have a few paying customers that cover my plan, and a bunch of projects that are mine and free webs for some friends and family. I suppose I should get serious after seeing all these young successful gurus making it work. My "day job" is in a telecommunications provider, supplying those high speed connections like T3's, OC3-OC192 to companies like Vortech, but many of you know that working for "the man" in telecommunications is not what it was 5-6 years ago. I always figured if I got downsized I could make this work... now I know I can.

Thanks guys!